Knights have record day

UCF tops Navy, extends nation’s longest winning streak to 22 games

It was just another entry on a long list of highlights during UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton’s stellar career.

Facing third-and-three midway through the second quarter, Milton avoided the Navy rush and scrambled free for a 21-yard gain.

And of his 265 career rushing attempts, this one would take on greater meaning because it gave him 1,032 career rushing yards, moving him ahead of one of the greatest quarterbacks in UCF history — Daunte Culpepper — as the school’s all-time leading rushing quarterback.

“That’s a huge honor,” Milton said of setting the mark during No.

12 UCF’s 35-24 win over Navy on Saturday. “Daunte is obviously a legend, not just here but in the NFL. That’s huge.”

But the junior was quick to add, “I’m pretty sure that [backup] Darriel Mack will pass that up when his time comes.”

Culpepper wrapped up an illustrious college career with 1,020 rushing yards in 1998. Two decades later, Milton passed him.

Milton finished with 62 rushing yards while adding 200 yards passing and two touchdown passes, helping the Knights withstand a second-half charge by the Midshipmen at Spectrum Stadium.

With the victory, UCF extended the nation’s longest win streak to

22 games.

UCF coach Josh Heupel was pleased with Milton’s performance.

“[He was] really accurate with the football, a great decisionmaker, the ability for him to adjust to something that had not been seen on tape within the course of the ballgame speaks to his understanding and knowledge of football,” Heupel said.

It was a relatively slow start for the UCF offense, which didn’t find the end zone until midway through the first quarter when Greg McCrae plowed his way for an 11-yard touchdown run that gave the Knights the first lead of the day.

Heupel said Navy came out in an unfamiliar defense, forcing UCF to adjust its offensive gameplan.

“Structurally, they were completely different than anything they showed on tape the entire season, and I thought our coaches and players did a great job of adjusting after that first series and find a way to go score some points,” he said.

The Knights shifted gears and focused on the run game.

UCF ran the football during more than 70 percent of its plays, finishing with 297 yards and three rushing touchdowns. It was the third time this season the team attempted at least 50 carries in a game.

McCrae, who has earned a prominent role in the Knights’ offensive scheme, finished with a team-high 101 yards. It was his second consecutive game he ran for at least 100 yards and led the Knights in rushing.

“The credit goes to my O-line. They create big holes for me to run through,” McCrae said when asked if he feels like he’s in a zone now. “The O-line is in the zone.”

Heupel was also quick to heap praise on the offensive line’s performance.

“Having not practiced the looks that they saw and being multiple in their looks as the game unfolded, I thought the communication was really, really good from those guys,” Heupel said.

UCF did find some success through the air. Milton connected with Dredrick Snelson on a pair of touchdowns, including a

34-yarder in the second quarter that pushed the lead to 21-0.

It was Milton’s 20th touchdown pass of the season and his 22nd consecutive game with a touchdown pass, tying him with Culpepper for second place in school’s career consecutive touchdowns passes list.

“They gave us a totally different look but we didn’t panic or anything,” said Snelson, who finished with a team-high in receptions (5) and receiving yards (72). “We were running a lot today, which they were probably expecting, and [then they were] waiting on the run. So when they weren’t expecting it, … McKenzie hit me over the middle.”

UCF’s defense was able to handle Navy’s triple-option offense throughout much of the game. But in the second half, the Midshipmen were able to break through with 21 points.